Relational Architecture

"The urban environment no longer represents the citizens, it represents capital," says media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer in a 2005 interview with José Luis Barrios. This quote resurfaced for me last week as I prepared for a discussion titled "Mobilities" with six USC Annenberg Fellows around ideas of mobile media, social and political infrastructures and art practices. Lozano-Hemmer's work, which includes many large-scale projects that incorporate projection, interactivity and public space, is all about the relationship between people, the city and power. Who is empowered in the various public spaces of Los Angeles? With the interactive video installation Under Scan from 2005, Lozano-Hemmer frames that question by tracking people as they move through an open plaza; their shadows activated video portraits, offering an encounter among citizens within the space of the city. The portraits only appear for as long as someone is present, creating a connection between people. Speaking about his work generally, Lozano-Hemmer says he's interested in encouraging an "eccentric reading of the environment," adding, "I don't want to develop site-specific installations but rather focus on the new temporal relationships that emerge from the artificial situation, what I call 'relationship-specific' art." He goes on to explain that "relational architecture" centers on having us reimagine the city and create stories that differ from those imposed by the city and its regulations and history. Relational architecture exposes power and privilege, and engages people in questioning our role. It's always a pleasure to revisit Lozano-Hemmer's work, even if only by looking at the terrific documentation of the work online. Luckily, though, Lozano-Hemmer will be in LA next spring to give a talk about his work.
Image: from Under Scan, 2005; photo by Antimodular Research.